News

The application period for our largest IARS grant is now OPEN! Apply now if you’re an individual investigator who is innovative, creative and committed to advancing research in the anesthesiology field. Apply to demonstrate your leadership skills and to foster the scientific evolution of a novel concept.​

Medical research is fundamental to our health & economic prosperity! We at the IARS are grateful that Congress has made medical research a national priority through supporting the NIH & passage of the 21st Century Cures Act. But, w/o sustained, predictable funding for NIH, tomorrow’s cures may never come. Join the IARS & urge lawmakers to increase the NIH budget by $2 billion & provide hope to millions living with life-threatening & chronic diseases. #RallyMedRes.

The IARS Mentored Research Awards support investigators who are working to further the understanding of clinical practice in anesthesiology and related science. Our 2017 recipients are the future leaders in the field and their funded studies are vital to the progress of the specialty.

Beverley Orser, MD, PhD, has been appointed Chair, Department of Anesthesia, University of Toronto, for a five-year term beginning July 1, 2017. Dr. Orser has been recognized through many awards including the Canadian Anesthesiologists’ Society 2017 Gold Medal. She was the first recipient (1995) of the Frontiers in Anesthesia Research Award from the IARS.

The ESA/ESPA/EACTA/EuroSTAR European Anaesthesiology Societies find that the current evidence to support the recent FDA Safety Warning is insufficient and incomplete. They conclude that there is no compelling evidence to change anesthetic practice for young children and pregnant women.

Dr. Cheng has served as the Chair/Chief, Department of Anesthesia & Perioperative Medicine since September 2001. He will conclude this role in June 2017. He graduated from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto in 1983, and completed his anesthesia residency and Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Canada in 1987 at the University of Toronto. He completed a subspecialty in a Cardiac Anesthesia Fellowship at the University of Iowa.

The International Anesthesia Research Society hosted a SmartTots-related education session at the IARS 2017 Annual Meeting. The session, The Neuroscience of Brain Development: Opportunities and Alternative Perspectives for Pediatric Anesthesia Research described age-dependent changes in anesthesia-induced brain activity in children and how this activity likely relates to the development of underlying brain circuits and early childhood development.

The IARS has joined the World Federation of Societies of Anesthesiologists (WFSA) SAFE-T Consortium. The SAFE-T Consortium (Safe Anaesthesia For Everybody – Today) is a global collaboration of industry and organizations committed to the advancement of patient safety and the International Standards for a Safe Practice of Anesthesia.

On Wednesday, December 14, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a Drug Safety Communication warning that; "repeated or lengthy use of general anesthetic or sedation drugs during surgeries or procedures in children younger than three years of age or in pregnant women during the final trimester may affect development of children’s brains." The FDA defined lengthy as greater than three hours of exposure.

As the Zika epidemic spreads to the United States, the potential for contracting the disease via blood transfusion has emerged as a serious concern. The problem of transfusion-related Zika virus transmission—and recommended strategies to reduce that risk—are outlined in a special article in Anesthesia & Analgesia. Anesthesia & Analgesia is published by Wolters Kluwer.

New Global Guidelines for the Prevention of Surgical Site Infection issued by the World Health Organization include a list of 29 concrete recommendations distilled by 20 of the world’s leading experts from 26 reviews of the latest evidence. The recommendations were published in "The Lancet Infectious Diseases" and are designed to address the increasing burden of health care associated infections on both patients and health care systems globally.

Dr. Davy Cheng, Chair and Chief of the Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Medicine at Western University, chaired the Circulation Track of WCA HK 2016, and led 80 esteemed cardiac anesthesiologists presenting in the track.

Many healthcare journals encourage researchers to post their original data online, in the interest of research openness. But open sharing of research databases can place private patient information at risk, according to a special topic paper in Anesthesia & Analgesia.

Dr. Santhanam Suresh, chair of the Department of Anesthesiology and director of the Pain Management Team at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and a member of the IARS Board of Trustees was awarded ASRA’s Distinguished Service Award during a ceremony held April 2nd in conjunction with the Regional Anesthesiology and Acute Pain Medicine Meeting in New Orleans, LA.

With the re-emergence of measles, mumps, diphtheria, and other vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs), many healthcare providers are encountering these diseases—and their potentially serious and even fatal outcomes—for the first time. A special article in Anesthesia & Analgesia presents a review and update for hospital-based providers who may encounter VPDs—particularly the operating room and intensive care unit.

A new "proliposomal" preparation of the local anesthetic drug ropivacaine may provide a valuable new option for pain relief in some clinical situations, with key advantages over other types of slow-release local anesthetics, suggest a pair of reports in Anesthesia & Analgesia.

The anticonvulsant medication gabapentin—already a useful part of strategies to control pain after surgery—also effectively reduces the common complication of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), reports a study in Anesthesia & Analgesia.

The International Anesthesia Research Society is pleased to announce that Dr. Hans-Joachim Priebe has accepted the position of Executive Editor of A&A Case Reports, a peer-reviewed online journal focused on sharing and discussion of informative clinical cases in anesthesiology, critical care and pain management.

Despite chronic inflammation and an elevated risk of heart disease, patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are not at increased risk for cardiovascular complications or death after surgery, compared to patients with similar characteristics without RA, reports a study in Anesthesia & Analgesia.

Proposals to restrict access to ketamine by making it a "Schedule I" drug would have a major impact on the availability of anesthesia and surgery in low- to middle-income countries (LMICs)—where ketamine is often the only general anesthetic drug available, according to a series of commentaries in Anesthesia & Analgesia.

A regional anesthesia technique called thoracic paravertebral nerve block (TPVB) is highly effective in controlling pain after breast cancer surgery, but concern about potential complications may limit its use. A new study provides evidence that using ultrasound to guide the nerve blocking procedure lowers the risk of complications, reports a study in Anesthesia & Analgesia.

The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) today presented Emery N. Brown, M.D., Ph.D., with its 2015 Excellence in Research Award in recognition of his outstanding achievements that are significantly affecting the practice and science of anesthesiology. Dr. Brown is known for his experimental research on understanding how anesthetics act in the brain to create the states of general anesthesia.​

SmartTots today released an updated consensus statement that emphasizes a need for more research into the safety of anesthetics and sedatives administered to infants and young children under the age of 4.

The marijuana extract tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) isn't effective in preventing nausea and vomiting after surgery in patients at high risk of this common complication, reports a study in Anesthesia & Analgesia.​

Can women with low platelet counts safely undergo epidural/spinal anesthesia during labor? Available evidence suggests a low rate of complications related to abnormal blood clotting for this large group of patients, reports a study in Anesthesia & Analgesia.

In his position as Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Vetter will work with incoming A&A Editor-in-Chief Jean-Francois Pittet and the Journal Editorial Board to carry out A&A's strategic mission and accomplish the tactical and operational goals of the Journal.

As the Ebola virus disease pandemic unfolded in 2014, it may have seemed like a sudden and unprecedented event. But the disease has a long history, the epidemic is ongoing, and new outbreaks are certain to occur in the future, reports the September issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia.

Automated alerts generated using data from hospital anesthesia information management systems (AIMS) are a promising approach to influencing the behavior of anesthesia providers—with the goal of improving care for patients undergoing surgery, according to a paper published in Anesthesia & Analgesia.​

Stillbirth or late termination of pregnancy due to severe fetal anomalies is a heartbreaking event for women and families—and one that poses challenges for all members of the healthcare team as they seek to provide empathic and supportive care, according to a special article in Anesthesia & Analgesia.​

Information on functional status—whether or not a person can carry out routine daily tasks independently—improves the ability to predict risk of death in patients undergoing surgery, according to a study in the July issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia.

A program to improve pain control during labor at one of Ghana's largest maternity units greatly increased the use of safe and effective spinal analgesia for women undergoing cesarean section, reports a special article in the June issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia.

For patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery, the anesthesiologist managing the procedure can have a major impact on the risk of adverse outcomes, according to a study published on January 23rd in Anesthesia & Analgesia.

In 2015, the Society will award $750,000 in research grants for the Frontiers in Anesthesia Research Award, and $600,000 for its Mentored Research Award. The IARS has contributed nearly $15 million in grants in the field of anesthesiology since its founding in 1922.

The International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS) announces the recipients of $600,000 in grants for the 2014 IARS Mentored Research Awards. The awards are part of the IARS grants program, which has issued more than $14 million in anesthesia research grants over the last thirty years.

The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit institution that was established under a congressional charter signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863. It recognizes achievement in science by election to membership, and -- with the National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine, and National Research Council -- provides science, technology, and health policy advice to the federal government and other organizations.

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and Imperial College London have identified the site where the widely used anesthetic drug propofol binds to receptors in the brain to sedate patients during surgery.

Masimo (NASDAQ: MASI) announced today that three new clinical studies evaluating Masimo noninvasive patient monitoring technologies were presented before the world's leading anesthesia educators and investigators at the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS) Annual Meeting in San Diego.

Patients undergoing major vascular surgery procedures are at increased risk of stroke, leading to a high mortality rate and prolonged hospitalization, according to a study in the February issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).

Regular exercise reduces the development of painful diabetic neuropathy in animals—apparently related to increased expression of a protective substance called "heat shock protein" 72 (Hsp72), reports an experimental study in the February issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).

At least two common gene variants are linked to "clinically meaningful" differences in pain scores in children after major surgery, reports a study in the January issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).

SmartTots, a research initiative sponsored by the IARS, a non-political medical society that supports anesthesia research and education, announces the addition of two new executive board members, Ned Russell of Saatchi & Saatchi Health|Wellness and Dr. Mark C. Rogers.

A review of more than 15,000 nerve block procedures performed in children at U.S. hospitals finds little or no risk of permanent complications or death, reports a study in the December issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).

For children undergoing brain surgery, a new technology allows noninvasive, continuous monitoring of blood hemoglobin levels, according to a study in the December issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).

A new journal dedicated to sharing and discussion of informative clinical experiences is coming soon, with the launch of Anesthesia & Analgesia Case Reports, the newest publication of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).

Letting children watch a favorite cartoon is an effective and safe way to reduce anxiety before anesthesia and surgery, concludes a study in the November issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).

Anesthesiology residents may not be prepared to manage rare but life-threatening emergencies involving cardiac arrest during labor and delivery, suggests a stimulation study in the November issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).

The International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS) has partnered with Applied Studios, LLC to raise awareness of and raise dollars for the SmartTots initiative which funds anesthesia research to ensure pediatric safety. Applied Studios has a mobile application called Stitches, an exhilarating game that incorporates a new take on an old classic that pits you against the clock in a game of nostalgia and skill. Users scrub in and take part in some of the most comical surgery ever performed.

A neuropeptide hormone called orexin-A—which plays an important role in regulating the normal sleep-wake cycle—also affects emergence (waking up) after anesthesia, reports an experimental study in the October issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).

Patients given high concentrations of inhaled oxygen during and after cancer surgery may be at higher long-term risk of death, according to a report in the October issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).

Resveratrol—the same natural polyphenol found in red wine—preserves the potent pain-relieving effect of morphine in rats that have developed morphine tolerance, suggests a study in the October issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).

Hand and facial transplants are still rare, but experience so far has produced some suggested guidelines for anesthetic management in patients undergoing these complex "composite" transplant procedures, according to a pair of articles in the September issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).

Non-pain-related factors—including previous use of pain medications, high perceived risk of addiction, and symptoms of depression—increase the risk of continuing to use strong pain-relieving drugs several months after surgery, reports a study in the September issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).

Researchers are using sophisticated and powerful new tools to develop and evaluate new anesthetic agents with important advantages over current drugs, according to a set of papers in the August issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).​

The International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS) formally announced Ansgar Brambrink, MD, PhD of Oregon Health & Science University as the recipient of its 2012 Frontiers in Anesthesia Research Award today – the largest single grant offered by the Society in its 90 year history. IARS is awarding Dr. Brambrink $750,000 to investigate long-term consequences of anesthesia exposure in infant non-human primates (NHPs), an experimental model with high translational relevance to the human condition​

Many anesthesia residents are carrying high educational debt—$150,000 or higher—that may constrain their employment decisions after graduation, according to a survey study in the July issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).

SmartTots announced Robert Block, PhD and Caleb Ing, MD as the recipients of its inaugural round of research grants today. The research grants are intended to support investigations into the existence of a clinical signal suggesting poor neurocognitive outcomes as the result of early exposure to anesthesia. Drs. Block and Ing will be conducting separate studies both centered around determining the effects of anesthetics on early brain development. Both recipients will receive $100,000 to fund th​

Since its launch in 2009, the open-access website OpenAnesthesia.org has developed into a popular and powerful tool for spreading up-to-date knowledge in anesthesiology, according to a special editorial in the July issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).

An simple technique using local anesthetic mixed with magnetized "ferrofluids" may provide a new approach to preventing a rare but serious complication of spinal anesthesia, reports the June issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).

Exercise helps to alleviate pain related to nerve damage (neuropathic pain) by reducing levels of certain inflammation-promoting factors, suggests an experimental study in the June issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).

Anesthesia providers can and should begin taking steps toward practicing "sustainable anesthesia," according to the May special issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).

A drug targeting one specific receptor may provide the first effective approach to treatment for the common problem of memory loss after surgery and anesthesia, according to an experimental study in the April issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).

An peripheral nerve stimulation technique may be a valuable new approach for relief of severe neuropathic (nerve-related) pain in injured soldiers, reports an article in the March issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).

More than 80 percent of anesthesiologists have been involved in a catastrophic event involving death or injury to a patient during surgery, suggests a survey study in the March issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).

Worldwide changes in catheter system design are urgently needed to prevent serious complications caused by accidental injection of drugs into the wrong location, according to a special editoral in the March issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).

In patients undergoing hip replacement surgery, using a special wound catheter to infuse local anesthetic directly into the hip joint provides significant and lasting improvements in postoperative pain control, reports a study in the February issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).

For patients undergoing a minimally invasive treatment for liver cancer, the risk of recurrent cancer appears lower with general anesthesia compared to regional (epidural) anesthesia, reports a study in the February issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).

Wolters Kluwer Health and the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS) are pleased to announce that they have signed an agreement to renew their partnership to publish Anesthesia & Analgesia (A&A), the official journal of the IARS. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (LWW), part of Wolters Kluwer Health, is the publisher of A&A, which is distributed monthly and is available online and on mobile and iPad devices to members of the IARS and individual subscribers. Institutions have access to A&A ​

The International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS), the oldest professional society for anesthesiologists, originally founded as the National Anesthesia Research Society, celebrates 90 years of support of medical research in 2012.

Botulinum neurotoxin type A—better known as Botox—has previously unsuspected 'systemic' effects on muscles other than the ones it's injected into, reports a study in the January issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).

As the number of surgical procedures performed outside hospitals continues to increase, ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs) need to develop policies for managing malignant hyperthermia—a rare but serious reaction to anesthetics, according to an expert panel report in the January issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).

The timing of surgical procedures—afternoon versus morning or Friday versus Monday—doesn't affect the risk of death after surgery, concludes a study in the December issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).

The United States is facing ongoing shortages of several critical anesthesia medications—shortages with potentially serious effects on patient care and safety, according to a special article in the December issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).

The editors of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS), are pleased to announce the launch of their new Anesthesia & Analgesia for the iPad® app. The new electronic edition brings the entire contents of each issue to the iPad®, with the addition of unique new enhancements and interactive features.

A special section of the November issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS), presents new research, updates, and commentaries about possible toxic effects of anesthetics and sedatives in infants and young children. The IARS is a key partner in the SmartTots initiative, dedicated to finding scientific answers to these urgent public health concerns.

A new DNA test may make it much simpler to identify patients at risk of malignant hyperthermia (MH)—a rare but life-threatening complication of exposure to common anesthetics reports the November issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).​

Helping to allay fears raised by previous studies, a new report finds no link between the duration or depth of general anesthesia and the subsequent risk of developing cancer, according to the October issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).​

Cannabidiol—a compound derived from marijuana—may be a promising new treatment to prevent the development of painful neuropathy in patients receiving the chemotherapy drug paclitaxel, according to animal experiments reported in the October issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).

Using ultrasound to guide the performance of nerve blocks—in which anesthetics are directly targeted to a specific nerve or group of nerves—has contributed to the increased use of regional anesthesia. However, available research doesn't show that ultrasound-guided nerve block procedures lead to increased pain relief, according to a report in the October issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).

General anesthesia administered to the developing animal brain depresses much needed neuronal activity and communication resulting in long-lasting cognitive impairment, according to an article published in the August issue of Current Opinion in Anesthesiology.

The International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS) launched a $750,000 research grant today – the largest single grant offered by the Society in its 90 year history. The Frontiers in Anesthesia Research Award, created in 1995, has traditionally been a $500,000 grant. Today’s announcement marks an increase of a quarter of a million dollars.

The cholesterol-lowering drug simvastatin appears to reduce spinal cord injury caused by oxygen deprivation in experimental animals, according to a study in the September issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).

A simple new approach to nasal drug administration may allow morphine and other strong pain medications to be targeted directly to the central nervous system (CNS), reports an experimental study in the September issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).

The anesthetic agent isoflurane may be a useful treatment for intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH)—a type of stroke caused by bleeding inside the brain, reports a study in the August issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).

The diabetes drug rosiglitazone (Avandia) can control inflammation leading to nerve damage and abnormal pain responses, suggests a paper in the August issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).

Anesthesia & Analgesia, the official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS), reports continued increase in its Impact Factor, the rating of academic and scientific journals tracked and published annually by Thomson Reuters.